A weird conspiracy theory alleging that X owner Elon Musk uses another fake account to laud himself on his social media platform took a strange turn. A journalist Jacqueline Sweet, who refuted the notion, seemed to be banned from X after publishing a probe that revealed Adrian Dittmann was a real person living in Fiji.
Sweet's article, which revealed Dittmann as a German businessman, was published in The Spectator World. Following this, Musk reacted with a typically cryptic post on X.
“I am Adrian Dittmann. It's time the world knew,” the Tesla CEO wrote, fueling mystery among his admirers.
Dittmann's mention in Sweet's article flagged as ‘violent’
Meanwhile, Sweet's managing editor informed that her account has been suspended for 30 days. Moreover, Dittmann's mention in her article has been flagged as having “violent or misleading content.”
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Sweet's managing editor informed that her account has been suspended for 30 days. Moreover, Dittmann's mention in her article has been flagged as having “violent or misleading content.”
{{/usCountry}}Dittmann's X account has attracted attention for its ardent admiration of Musk for years, fueling speculation that the SpaceX CEO was using the profile to stand up for himself and advocate his beliefs.
While some claimed to have evidence that linked Musk to Dittmann directly, Sweet's probe appeared to put an end to all the speculation.
However, the move to suspend Sweet's account generated heated controversy. Opponents of Musk and X said that the platform suppressed journalism in order to preserve Musk's image.
“This is a direct assault on press freedom,” one user wrote.
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Did Sweet interview Dittmann?
Musk supporters, on the other hand, welcomed Sweet's account suspension, claiming that her reporting violated ethical bounds by releasing personal information about Dittmann.
Sweet's report characterised Dittmann as the son of a German software engineer with a background in commercial enterprises such as a bottled water firm and marina.
Sweet's report on Dittmann was supported by his social media posts and his engagement in events such as the Musk Foundation's $100 million Xprize Carbon Removal Contest.
However, opponents point out that Dittmann was not interviewed for the report, leaving some information about his identity unclear.